President Donald Trump made his first public appearance during a wreath-laying ceremony on Veterans' Day since Saturday when Democrat Joe Biden was declared president-elect by major American news organisations. He was accompanied by his wife Melania Trump who was escorted by a soldier during the ceremony.
Spotting Melania sharing an umbrella with the soldier and holding his arm as Trump walked in front alone in front raised eyebrows among Twitter users. They yet again questioned the President's relationship with his wife and several users claimed that the 50-year-old enjoyed the soldier's company above her husband's.
"I like how Melanie is holding the soldier's arm but she NEVER touches you that long in public," one Twitter user tweeted a reply to Trump who tweeted a video of the ceremony.
"If that had been any other President he would have been walking arm in arm with his wife to honor the memory of soldiers not have her behind him being escorted arm in arm with a soldier," wrote another user.
Ceremonial Protocol
While social media users jumped the gun assuming that the President and First Lady had a cold relationship, they failed to notice that Vice President Mike Pence's wife Karen Pence and the wives of other officials, too, were escorted by soldiers while their husbands walked ahead of them. It appeared to be a part of a ceremonial protocol.
Trump and Melania's relationship has been a topic of discussion since he assumed the office. Their not-so-warm public appearances were debated on social media, especially since the Americans are used to the public display of affection by Trump's predecessor Barack Obama and his wife Michelle Obama.
Most recently, social media users speculated that Trump appeared to push Melania off the stage after the final presidential debate concluded in October. After the debate, the two walked hand-in-hand before turning away from the audience. Melania then appeared to pull her hand away from Trump's and wiped it on her dress. Users also claimed that Trump appeared to push his wife lightly to hint her to get off the stage.
Moreover, after major news outlets declared Biden a winner of the presidential election, ex-White House official Omarosa Manigault Newman said the First Lady planned to divorce Trump after they leave the White House. Newman also called the couple's relationship a "transactional marriage."
"Melania is counting every minute until he is out of the office and she can divorce," she said. "If Melania were to try to pull the ultimate humiliation and leave while he's in office, he would find a way to punish her." "If Melania were to try to pull the ultimate humiliation and leave while he's in office, he would find a way to punish her," the ex-staffer said.
